About Mariia Chistiakova
Vocalist, pianist, and music educator Mariia Chistiakova comes from a long family lineage of teachers. Music was a central part of her upbringing: weekend and holiday gatherings in her extended family traditionally involved singing together accompanied by piano.
At the age of six, Mariia began studying solfège through a specialized children’s curriculum developed by Vladimir Kiryushin in the Soviet Union. At seven, Mariia began formal piano studies. In her graduating year, she earned second place in a national Russian solfège competition among music students, and her music school was recognized as the best in the country that year. Mariia continues to regard this solfège program as one of the most effective pedagogical systems for children. Also, she still exchanges teaching methods and experiences with her teachers.
After completing her formal studies at the music school, Mariia continued her education there through an advanced program equivalent to a music college curriculum. During this period, she studied methodologies of teaching solfège, music theory, voice, and piano, and began teaching piano and vocal students herself.
Following multiple wins at Russian vocal competitions, Mariia pursued professional musical training at the Glinka Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory, where she studied Musical Theatre Performance. In addition to vocal and piano studies, her training included acting, classical and modern dance, stage speech, stage movement, and an advanced music history curriculum. She gained extensive experience performing in the conservatory’s educational theatre.
During her conservatory years, Mariia launched a YouTube channel focused on comedic musical videos, many of which reached over one million views. Music blogging gradually became her primary career. She later released an album of original songs, which has accumulated over 100,000 streams across various platforms.
After leaving Russia in 2022, Mariia volunteered as a music educator with children’s organizations supporting Ukrainian refugee families, working with children through music during a period of major transition and displacement.
As a teacher, Mariia approaches vocal and piano education within a broad cultural context of classic and modern art.
